김혁이 ‘원핸드 덩크슛’을 성공했다.
10일 방송된 KBS 2TV ‘우리동네 예체능’에서는 예체능 팀과 전북 전주 BLC 팀과의 농구 대결이 펼쳐졌다.
이날 팀의 에이스 김혁은 상대 팀의 철벽수비에도 굴하지 않고 활약했다. 특히 김혁은 수비 세 명을 제치고 공을 빼앗아 한 손으로 덩크슛을 성공해 멤버들과 관중석의 뜨거운 박수를 받았다.
김혁이 합류하기 전까지 에이스였던 서지석은 방송 초반부터 김혁을 질투해 웃음을 자아냈지만 덩크슛을 본 후 “좋아! 멋있다”며 소리치며 환호했다.
한편 이날 방송에서 강호동은 경기 종료 직전 자유투 1골을 성공, 공식 경기 첫 득점에 성공하며 팀에 승리를 안겼다.
우리동네 예체능 김혁의 활약을 접한 누리꾼들은 “우리동네 예체능 김혁, 덩크슛 끝내주네” “우리동네 예체능 김혁, 이혜정이 반할만” “우리동네 예체능 김혁, 확실한 에이스” 등의 반응을 보였다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Skills over fun?
Some fans claim that celebs on basketball variety show are too good
Double-clutch layups and breakaway slam dunks are not the usual repertoire of basketball shows on South Korean TV. But with Kim Hyuk, you’ve got another thing coming.
The 39-year-old South Korean actor is wowing the viewers and even his teammates on the celebrity basketball team appearing in KBS’s “Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education” with his performance on the court.
With Kim dominating the court, however, some are complaining that the KBS show has lost its initial concept of “average Joes working to improve themselves and vying to get one win.”
The program’s initial idea was to be a “health variety show which anyone can participate in.” True to its catchphrase, the show’s earlier episodes -- in which the co-hosts competed in table tennis, bowling and badminton -- featured celebrities who were not particularly skilled in their respective sports.
While the celebrities were stars on TV, they were also novices on the court, which helped viewers relate to them going up against top amateur athletes.
The stars in the basketball episode, however, can hardly be called beginners. All its members, except main host Kang Ho-dong, have years of experience shooting hoops. And actor Julien Kang’s towering 191-centimeter frame and athleticism is a far cry from the “average Joe.”
The pinnacle of this recruitment of established players was the addition of Kim Hyuk, who joined the team after it was hampered by a series of injuries. Kim played organized basketball until his college years,
Powered by Kim’s athleticism and skills, which even rival some of the top college players, the “Our Neighborhood” team has cruised to a 3-1 record over amateur teams. This is in stark contrast to the “Our Neighborhood” team’s earlier days, when they failed to grab a single win over amateurs.
Kim’s performance certainly provides entertainment, but many are complaining that they miss the fun of watching the players grow. Kim and Julien Kang, easily the two most important players on the team, are already established players and there has been almost no growth in their ability during the show.
The only beginner in the show, Kang Ho-dong, was virtually cast aside, so that he now focuses primarily on the sideline comedy.
“Pooling players who are already very good, and piling up wins against other teams are not why I tuned in to watch the show,” said one viewer on an online basketball community discussion board. Another person lamented that he was no longer able to watch beginners improve.
Others pointed out that the skill gap between beginners and experienced players in basketball is virtually insurmountable. “If they started with beginners, they wouldn’t be able to compete with top amateur teams at all,” said one netizen.
“The reason we watch TV shows is for entertainment, so what’s wrong with celebrities like Kim Hyuk showing off their skills?”
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
